Access nodes are typically hardware devices that provide users with access to content. For instance, access nodes may be outdoor components located directly on physical communication strands and may include different types of components, including modems, routers, and other types of gateways. Mobile user devices such as smart phones and laptops may wirelessly access content by communicating with a gateway associated with an access node.
Each access node may be associated with a coverage area, and each coverage area may be represented pictorially on a coverage map. Coverage data (e.g., maps) for a network may offer insights into the expected signal strength received from access nodes in areas serviced by the network. Currently, coverage maps are generated from a limited set of data related to the estimated transmit power of access nodes in the network. Conventional techniques produce coverage maps that consist of an estimated circle plot to inform users about the extent to which coverage may extend based on the presumed location of an access node. Conventional coverage maps may not accurately reflect the coverage area associated with an access node for a multitude of reasons, including the presence of unknown obstructions (e.g., buildings, foliage, etc.) and/or interference (e.g., radio frequency (RF), etc.) within the coverage area.
Accurately locating and optimizing the location of access nodes within a network may play a key role in creating more accurate coverage data (e.g., maps). For instance, without accurately knowing where an access node is located, a network may not be able to move the access node to create more optimal coverage data (e.g., maps) within a given area. The location of the access node may not accurately be known for a number of reasons; for instance, an access node may have been moved from an earlier location and this move may not have been properly documented. In addition, when the access node is initially installed, the installation may reference hard-to-track, easily misdocumented, and/or imprecise landmarks such as utility poll numbers and/or cross-streets to pinpoint where the node is to be placed.
Therefore, better methodologies are needed to determine and optimize the location of access nodes, for example, for creating coverage data (e.g., maps) that are more responsive to the needs of users and networks.